“I pray all the time”: Genre, address, and self-examination in Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead

• This chapter investigates how various genres of first person narrative interact within the discourse of epistolarity in Marilynne Robinson’s novel Gilead, dealing with an old dying father and clergyman writing to his very young son. The analysis exposes how this interaction is governed by the narrator’s ambition to unselfishly guide and help his son – in vain trying to forget his own personal failures, desires, dilemmas and feelings of guilt. Most interesting is how the formal-rhetorical swaying of the text activates and illustrates deep theological issues of love, sin, guilt and forgiveness.

Ämnesord

HUMANIORA  -- Filosofi, etik och religion -- Religionsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Philosophy, Ethics and Religion -- Religious Studies (hsv//eng)

HUMANIORA  -- Språk och litteratur -- Litteraturvetenskap (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Languages and Literature -- General Literary Studies (hsv//eng)

HUMANIORA  -- Språk och litteratur -- Litteraturstudier (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Languages and Literature -- Specific Literatures (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Christianity

Narrative

Forgiveness

Contemplative Prayer

Genre Analysis

Marilynne Robinson

Guilt

Grace

Epistolarity

Addressivity

Diary fiction

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kap (ämneskategori)